The “Behistun Inscription” and “Translation of the Edicts of Asoka” are short story translations that depict the lives of the Persians and Indians. They use various literary writing styles including emotions and figurative language with the aim of capturing the attention of their audience. The main audiences for the message that is portrayed in the literary works are scholars and history students. In this essay, a comparison of the two philosophical works is conducted.
Body
Similarities of the philosophical works
One of the main similarities between the philosophical works is leadership and political structures. The Persians were ruled by kings and succession was from father to son. King Darius, for instance, enjoyed immense influence and became king after his father Hystaspes and that eight of his dynasty had ruled the region before him. Among the Indians, king Piyadassi was a major force to reckon and was always on the frontline in making rules that his people were supposed to abide by (A Translation Of The Edics Of Asoka Web). He advocated for the advancement of Dhamana and the need for people to be guided by moral principles.
Another similarity that is evident in the philosophical works is the way of lives of the people. Persians occasionally held ceremonies and festivals that marked specified events such as the birth of a child and death and this was the same case with the Indians (Behistun Inscription Web). King Piyadassi was considered as the beloved of Gods and was on several occasions in charge of various festivals that were held in his empire. After winning battles, both the Persians and Indians had a custom of holding various ceremonies in honor of their victories.
Contrasts in the literary works
According to the “Behistun Inscription” king Darius tenure was marred by revolts and rebellions from a section of the discontented Persians and outsiders. The coup by Gaumâta the Magian was aimed at displacing King Darius and taking over the kingdom. However, Darius was well aware of the plot and ended up killing Magian. Rebellions from ššina of Elam would then follow but was not successful just like revolts of Martiya of Elam and Phraortes of Media (Behistun Inscription Web). In the case of king Piyadassi, on the other hand, his tenure was smooth, and the only battles that he had to fight were those with Greek enemies and those from neighboring regions of Pakistan. He was loved not only by his followers but also those slaves that toiled in the land. That explains why his tenure, unlike that of King Darius, had no instances of revolt and rebellion.
Another contrast that is evident in the philosophical works is the gender roles in societies. According to the “Translation of the Edicts of Asoka” women roles were defined and were heads of state farms and were also in charge of the advancements of Dhamma that was advocated for by King Piyadassi (A Translation Of The Edics Of Asoka Web). Among the Persians, on the other hand, women were limited to household roles. Religious and heads, leaders of most of the institutions and major responsibilities were allocated to the men. Women, on the other hand, were given the mandate to take care of their families. Unlike King Piyadassi, King Darius never viewed gender roles as an important matter.
Conclusion
Based on the above essay, the authors of the two philosophical works provide the audience with a historical flashback of Persians and Indians during King Darius and King Piyadassi’s tenures. The similarity is evident in their political and leadership structures while differences emanate from modes of governance and gender roles.
Work Cited
"A Translation Of The Edics Of Asoka - Buddha's World." Katinkahesselink.net. N.p., 2018. Web. 7 Mar. 2018.
"Behistun Inscription." Mcadams.posc.mu.edu. N.p., 2018. Web. 7 Mar. 2018.
